Lately I’ve been trying to avoid concerts during the week because it messes with my being able to sleep a decent amount before work. (I know, I’m so not a rock star anymore) However, there are some exceptions and Wednesday night that exception was Stephen Kellogg. He is touring as the “Stephen Kellogg Band” as a part of the promotion for his upcoming album South, West, North, East. Brooks Hubbard opened the show, Miranda Mulholland was up next with stand up bass player Zachariah Hickman. The latter two also were part of Stephen’s band.
Brooks did a set of 3 songs. He is from New Hampshire but relocated to Nashville. He had posted a cover of one of Stephen’s songs and Stephen wanted to know who this guy was that sang his songs with better pitch than him.
Miranda had teased during her set that Stephen plays a lot of songs about hope and family songs and that there was legislation passed that you can’t have a set full of just that so she was going to sing all the autobiographical songs about relationships that didn’t work out.
The Stephen Kellogg Band consisted of “South” – Zachariah, “North” – Miranda, “East” – Boots Factor (former SK6er) and “West”- Sam Getz (former SK6er).
The set started with Curtain Call, with everyone up around one mic. I found that Zachariah and Miranda were a welcome addition to the band – who knew that what was missing was a fiddle and a stand up bass?
After Thankgiving, the band left the stage. Stephen said “The band said they’d learn Thankgiving, but then they needed a break!” Since they were home, Stephen was going to try something that had not been planned and he called backstage to see if his kids were still there. “A couple” was yelled back. “A couple? I hope a couple didn’t leave” and then shortly after all 4 of his girls joined him on stage and he asked them to sit on the stage and he was going to tell them how much they were loved. He started crying and had to turn around and compose himself for a minute and then did a medley of “Four Kids”, “Sweet Sophia”, “Oh Adeline”, “Noelle, Noelle” and “Greta Girl”, which are some of the songs he had written for his daughters. Greta ended up having to leave the stage before her song came up because she was not too thrilled to be out there. Stephen was also using a guitar strap that had S A N G on it – of course after this medley I realized the letters stood for his daughter’s first initials.
The band played from about 10 minutes to 9 until shortly after 10. It was a great set with a mixture of songs off the new album (that I have not yet listened to even though I got it early for backing the project through pledgemusic) and some older favorites as well.
Curtain Call
Wolf
4th of July
The Open Heart
Start the Day Early
Such a Way
Father’s Day>
The Bear
Thanksgiving
Four Kids / Sweet Sophia / Oh Adeline / Noelle Noelle / Greta Girl
Wallpaper Angel
Shady Esperanto
Almost Woke You Up
Gravity
Last Man Standing
E: We Say Goodbye
Big Easy (with Brooks Hubbard)